The Good: Good accessory, Good balance, Generally good sculpt and coloring
The Bad: Lack of articulation, Collectible value is terrible
The Basics: The Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard Power Of The Force action figure is surprisingly good, despite a perfect resculpt more recently released!
Arguably the coolest outfit Lando Calrissian appeared in in the Star Wars Trilogy was his Skiff Guard Disguise. The armor that Lando appeared in when he was first seen in Jabba’s palace is surprisingly cool and has been the subject of a 12” doll as well as the perfect Original Trilogy Collection Lando Calrissian Skiff Guard figure (reviewed here!). So, as I go back to the Power Of The Force Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard, one might expect me to pan it pretty righteously, given that there is a better sculpt. I cannot do that, though; even the Power Of The Force version of Lando As A Skiff Guard is pretty cool!
Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard was how Lando appeared in the beginning of Return Of The Jedi (reviewed here!), where he was disguised as a member of Jabab’s Court. Introduced with a camera pan and an obvious pull-down of his helmet’s face shield, Lando looked pretty badass until he got knocked off the skiff and nearly was killed by the Sarlaac!
The 4" Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard figure is a decent one that stands up well. Despite the fact that there is a newer, more articulated sculpt of this figure, I gladly keep this one in my collection!
Basics
Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard is the hero of the Rebelllion as he appeared in Return Of The Jedi. This Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard figure is superior to the one from the 1980s and has legs a bit apart, making him look like he is ready for action. He is also a little more buff than one might recall Billy Dee Williams being in Return Of The Jedi, but he looks pretty good with the extra muscle! The Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard figure stands 3 3/4" tall. This Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard is cast wearing his black, orange and tan Rebel skiff guard armor. The figure is made entirely of hard plastic.
This toy is a decent sculpt, looking very much like Lando Calrissian. The head is identical to the one used on the Power Of The Force Lando Calrissian In General’s Gear figure, but it is cast well and it is hard to complain about this particular reuse. His hair is molded to have realistic texture and he even has a molded on mustache and nostrils! The detailing on the outfit is fairly good, though less precise than the subsequent sculpt. On his right forearm, Lando features a bracer and his pants have the wavy quality that make them look loose along his muscles. Molded details like the shoulder armor plates and the ribbing on the padded armor beneath his breastplate might not be as precise as the later sculpt, but it looks real good here!
Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard is well colored, though the figure is colored in broad strokes. As a result, the shirt is orange, the figure’s skin is brown and the boots are solid brown, with no shading or subtlety. The exception to the coloring details being broad strokes come in the pants. This version of Lando Calrissian features white pants that have a very weathered look to them. They are brown and feature shading to make them look like they get progressively dirtier as one looks down toward the boots! This stands out, though, as the boots then look strangely clean!
Accessories
Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard, disguised Rebel that he is, comes only with one accessory, his Skiff Guard Force Pike. The Skiff Guard Force Pike is a standard accessory and this is identical to the one that came with the Weequay Skiff Guard. It is 2 3/4” and is cast in a gunmetal colored plastic that matches well the depth (or lack of depth) and shading of the rest of the figure. It is slightly larger than it ought to be, but it fits in Lando’s hands just fine. He can even hold it in a two-handed grip. It is adequate on the molded details and is monotonally colored.
Technically, Lando’s helmet is an accessory as well. This Lando comes with a slightly gangly, soft-plastic helmet that allows fans to fully disguse Lando. It looks all right on him, but is a little large on the front piece.
Playability
The four inch toy line was designed for play and the Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard is fair in that regard. The figure is poorly articulated, but is exceptionally well balanced. This is a figure designed to stand up and look ready for action, which he does very well. The Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard figure has awesome balance, probably because of the wide stance. Like virtually every other Star Wars figure, though, he has the standard holes in the feet that allow this figure to be posed in more outlandish poses on the playsets and toys that have the matching foot pegs!
The Power Of The Force Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard is low on articulation. The figure has six points of articulation, all of which are simple swivel joints: shoulders, groin socket, neck and waist. This makes it nearly impossible to seat this Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard figure for anything remotely like the shots he was in in the movie.
Collectibility
The Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard is part of the Power Of The Force four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was incredibly common. The Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard figure appeared on at least two cards, one with the popular Freeze Frame action slide. The result is that while this is a very neat figure, it is by no means the most valuable action figure on the market.
Overview
Lando Calrissian As Skiff Guard is a decent figure and given that, he makes a good background figure for a Jabba’s Palace setting, even if you have the better, newer figure!
For other Return Of The Jedi Power Of The Force figures, please check out my reviews of:
AT-ST Driver
Lando Calrissian in General’s Gear
Admiral Ackbar
Saelt-Marae
Chewbacca As Boushh's Bounty
Princess Leia In Ewok Celebration Gown
Gamorrean Guard
EV-9D9
Weequay Skiff Guard
Jedi Luke Skywalker
Bib Fortuna
Emperor's Royal Guard
Nien Nunb
7/10
For other toy reviews, please check out my index page!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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